Discussion Forums

Ryan Nafe

Fellas,

I’m looking to get a rimfire rifle set up with peep sights to use for plinking, squirrels, and rabbits. I only go for head shots on the squirrels and rabbits (the small game version of the “meat-saver” shot) and with peep sights that means a maximum distance of around 50 yards, for me.

I think the .17 has a major advantage in trajectory over the Eley Subsonic Hollow .22LR I use in my scoped Savage MkI, especially since I’d like to use iron sights.

With another S-TAC 3-16x42 scope I would be fine with the .22LR because it would be a piece of cake to dial up the range.

But iron sights are a different thing, I’d prefer to sight in at a fixed distance and be good to go out to the limits of my ability to clearly see the animal’s head. Once zeroed on paper I’ll just use golf balls to replicate the head size and establish the limits of my effective range.

Point of impact with the .17 HMR will remain virtually the same out to 75 yards, so I can zero the rifle at 25 and then I can use the rifle to shoot anything I can clearly see without having to adjust for holdover.

BUT - I’m a little concerned about being able to polish the bore and throat of the rifle with poly pads because it’s such an incredibly small bore diameter. Is this feasible, can I actually do it fairly easily, or is that bore diameter just too small to do this?

I would imagine it’s quite difficult for manufacturers to get the bore characteristics just right on the .17’s, so I’m anticipating the need to polish it right away.